breezes blowing southward across the vast expanses of ice, carrying with them a damp, cold air that settled on the city in the evening hours. Filaree, like usual, was too quick and was shortly out of his sight and into the forest ahead, and he spurred his mount on to regain her side.
As Cameron burst forth from the dense, pine, stockade-like forest surrounding the castle walls, prepared to gallop the fifty or so yard open expanse to the gates of the fortress, his mount suddenly reared up as he almost came crashing into Filaree and Nico. At first, his senses reeled with what he interpreted to be danger signals. With his broadsword already in his hand, he stared intently at Filaree, wanting desperately to know why she was seemingly frozen in stride directly in front of him. She neither moved nor reacted to his abrupt approach in any way. Nico pranced in place, her handsome head bobbing up and down.
He turned his horse so as to face the forest and give himself the ability to back toward Filaree. After scanning the space between her and the castle gate and seeing no sign of trouble, he focused his eyes on the sharp edge of pine trees, fully expecting that whatever had stopped his mistress in place to shortly pounce upon them as well. He slowly retreated to her side, glancing left and right.
“My Lady, can you hear me?” he asked while never taking his eyes off of the perimeter of trees in front of him. “Mistress? Try to break away from whatever is holding you while I guard your back.”
Cameron was slowly backing up next to her so that he could just about grab Filaree from her saddle and flee to the gates, when she turned her face to him and simply said, “We must go quickly, Cameron. Please assist me to the castle. We have work to do before we leave here.”
Shocked, he could barely respond. “Yes, my Lady, at once,” was all he could manage, as he turned and grabbed Nico’s mane and led them to the entrance.
“Do not fear, dear Cameron,” Filaree said rather sweetly, sensing his concern. “I am quite well. I have only just received a long awaited message. The means of its conveyance was rather unorthodox, and I was momentarily unable to move. It has merely caused a bit of fatigue, that is all. I am fine now, truly I am,” she continued, eyes half closed. “We must prepare though and with as much speed as we can muster. We have been ‘called’.”
By the way she said ‘called’ at the beginning and the end, Cameron recognized the auspiciousness of the event, although he had no inkling as to the why or the wherefore of the call. His first concern was to get his mistress safely behind the castle walls. There would be time for explanations later.
Chapter Six
Cairn, with Calyx by his side, departed from the southern woods on the very first day of the new year. He suspected that it would take them approximately eight or nine days to arrive at the border of the kingdom of Pardatha, just north of the Thorndar mountain range. The pass through the mountains would be difficult to traverse at this time of year, but with Calyx’s aid, he knew it would be possible. Baladar’s message was clear; ‘The boy is in need of training. Make haste. Waste no time during your journey.’.
He carried only a small satchel containing necessities, and of course the box. Cairn of Thermaye was accustomed to eating sparsely and traveling light. His needs were not great. As long as Calyx was with him, he would never lack for something to eat in the event that the nuts and berries were not prevalent enough along the route to the boy’s side. He wrapped his robes around his long legs to facilitate his ability to jog at a decent pace, and without a glance backwards, he was off.
The days were short during the winter months, and although the air was only cool not cold this far southwest of the mountains, there was a considerable nip to it. Cairn wished to travel quickly, but he had no desire to take unnecessary risks and attempt
As Cameron burst forth from the dense, pine, stockade-like forest surrounding the castle walls, prepared to gallop the fifty or so yard open expanse to the gates of the fortress, his mount suddenly reared up as he almost came crashing into Filaree and Nico. At first, his senses reeled with what he interpreted to be danger signals. With his broadsword already in his hand, he stared intently at Filaree, wanting desperately to know why she was seemingly frozen in stride directly in front of him. She neither moved nor reacted to his abrupt approach in any way. Nico pranced in place, her handsome head bobbing up and down.
He turned his horse so as to face the forest and give himself the ability to back toward Filaree. After scanning the space between her and the castle gate and seeing no sign of trouble, he focused his eyes on the sharp edge of pine trees, fully expecting that whatever had stopped his mistress in place to shortly pounce upon them as well. He slowly retreated to her side, glancing left and right.
“My Lady, can you hear me?” he asked while never taking his eyes off of the perimeter of trees in front of him. “Mistress? Try to break away from whatever is holding you while I guard your back.”
Cameron was slowly backing up next to her so that he could just about grab Filaree from her saddle and flee to the gates, when she turned her face to him and simply said, “We must go quickly, Cameron. Please assist me to the castle. We have work to do before we leave here.”
Shocked, he could barely respond. “Yes, my Lady, at once,” was all he could manage, as he turned and grabbed Nico’s mane and led them to the entrance.
“Do not fear, dear Cameron,” Filaree said rather sweetly, sensing his concern. “I am quite well. I have only just received a long awaited message. The means of its conveyance was rather unorthodox, and I was momentarily unable to move. It has merely caused a bit of fatigue, that is all. I am fine now, truly I am,” she continued, eyes half closed. “We must prepare though and with as much speed as we can muster. We have been ‘called’.”
By the way she said ‘called’ at the beginning and the end, Cameron recognized the auspiciousness of the event, although he had no inkling as to the why or the wherefore of the call. His first concern was to get his mistress safely behind the castle walls. There would be time for explanations later.
Chapter Six
Cairn, with Calyx by his side, departed from the southern woods on the very first day of the new year. He suspected that it would take them approximately eight or nine days to arrive at the border of the kingdom of Pardatha, just north of the Thorndar mountain range. The pass through the mountains would be difficult to traverse at this time of year, but with Calyx’s aid, he knew it would be possible. Baladar’s message was clear; ‘The boy is in need of training. Make haste. Waste no time during your journey.’.
He carried only a small satchel containing necessities, and of course the box. Cairn of Thermaye was accustomed to eating sparsely and traveling light. His needs were not great. As long as Calyx was with him, he would never lack for something to eat in the event that the nuts and berries were not prevalent enough along the route to the boy’s side. He wrapped his robes around his long legs to facilitate his ability to jog at a decent pace, and without a glance backwards, he was off.
The days were short during the winter months, and although the air was only cool not cold this far southwest of the mountains, there was a considerable nip to it. Cairn wished to travel quickly, but he had no desire to take unnecessary risks and attempt
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